Printed circuit boards (“PCB”) can have various circuit elements and paths formed therein. Additional periphery (i.e., components, connections to other PCBS, devices, power sources, etc.) may be connected directly to the PCB utilizing vias, which are holes having conductive material. Some periphery, however, may not be able to utilize the vias in order to connect to the PCBs and instead need to utilize headers. A header is basically a device that is connected to a PCB and includes terminals (pins) along the bottom that are used to connect to the vias. The top of the header is designed to house the periphery. The header also includes connections between appropriate portions (i.e., contacts, pins) of the periphery to the terminals that connect to the appropriate vias.
Many PCBs are designed so that the sections of the PCB requiring headers are grouped together in close proximity to each other, normally on one or more edges of the PCB. The reason for the headers being grouped together in close proximity to each other is so that they can be easily assembled to the PCB without impact to the other sections of the PCB. In many instances, all or a majority of the headers for a particular PCB are assembled to the PCB at the same time. Often, the headers are connected to the PCB using automated equipment. Thus, the assembler will desire that all of the headers be connected together in some fashion to form a header assembly.
Prior art header assemblies are formed by injecting all the headers that make up the assembly together as a single unit. Some of the prior art header assemblies utilize a rigid link (i.e., non-conductive frame) between each of the individual headers that make up the header assembly. However, the use of a rigid link does not allow for any adjustment or movement of the pins and thus does not provide for even the slightest offset in dimensions (i.e., error in fabrication of the header assembly or PCB, or malformation of the header assembly during transport). A slight offset in any portion of the header assembly (or PCB) could render the entire assembly useless, as there is no flexibility in the header assembly to allow an assembler to adjust the header assembly to fit in the PCB. Moreover, a rigid link may be susceptible to stresses during assembly and possibly break.
To accommodate for the deficiencies in the rigid link header assemblies, some prior art adjustable pin header assemblies utilize a flexible link between headers in order to provide for movement of the pins in each header with respect to the other headers. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary prior art adjustable pin header assembly 100. The header assembly 100 includes headers 110, 120, 130. Small flexible bars (flexible links) 140 are used for linking the various headers 110-130, which are then injected together as a unit to form the adjustable pin header assembly 100. The small flexible bars 140 provide the assembler with some flexibility (i.e., adjustment between headers) in assembling the header assembly 100 to the PCB. However, the headers 110-130 and/or the links 140 can be damaged or broken during handling and loading, often resulting with the complete assembly 100 needing to be scrapped.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous if each of the headers that make up a header assembly could be injected and loaded with terminals separately. The individual headers could then be joined to each other at a later time, before shipment, which would permit better production rationalization and flexibility.